Signal device



' April 18, 1939; w LF 2,155,342

SIGNAL DEVICE Filed June 24, 1937 Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIGNAL DEVICE Wallace J. Wolf, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Bastian Brothers Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York l unfortunate accidents constantly occur, especially during the night season, by reason of the pres- 1 ence of pedestrians on roadways and streets walking with or against, and crossing vehicular traflic,

due to the fact that even with the efiicient headlights with which vehicles are equipped, it often happens that a pedestrian appears within the effective view of the motorist only at the last minute when it is too late to avoid an accident.

Many proposals have been made with the object of ofiset-ting these disadvantages and preventing such accidents and among these proposals it is probable the most frequent have been the use of reflective signal members or devices to be carried by the pedestrian. There are however certain disadvantages to the use of such signals and up to the present at least it has been found difiicult to overcome the disadvantage that the ordinary reflective signals either require the use of the hands of the pedestrian when the hands are needed for other purposes or are so positioned on the pedestrian that any substantial change in his direction of movement obscures the signal devices from view.

It 'is therefore one of the primary objects of 35 this invention to provide a simple and inexpensive signal device capable of being carried in the pocket when not in use, and easily and quickly placed and adjusted in efiective position where its use is desirable. v

A further object is the provision of such a device which is at the same time readily shiftable upon the person of the user to easily and conveniently assume different positions wherein it will be similarly eifective when the user is walking either parallel with, or at/right angles to, vehicular traffic.

A still further object is the provision of a simple, cheap and effective device in which apair of reflective signal elements may be employed to drape on the person in any manner adapting the same to effective use, and may be placed or displaced with ease and facility with provision for easy adjustment to persons of different sizes.

55 In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the present invention and forms a part of the specification-- Figure 1 is a side view showing the practical application of the invention as it will be used on a pedestrian proceeding parallel to vehicular traffic.

Figure 2 is a front view showing the improved signal device as it will be used on a pedestrian proceeding at right angles to commercial traflic.

Figure 3 is a view showing possible use of the signal device in the hand.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the improved signal device removed.

Figure 5 is a detail view of one of the signal elements looking at its obverse face,-and Figure 6 is a detail vertical sectional view taken through one of the signal devices substantially on line 6-6 of Figure 5, and somewhat enlarged.

Referring now to these figures, the invention proposes a signal device, the essentials of which are a pair of signal members I0 and II which may be of identical form, and which are supported in substantially spaced apart and relatively adjustable relation by a flexible strand I2, so that they may be draped across the shoulders of a user of the device and suspended at the chest and back of the latter when proceeding parallel to vehicular trafiic as indicated in Figure 1 or at the upper portions of the arms when proceeding at right angles to vehicular traffic as indicated in Figure 2. 1

Obviously the signal elements in the position of Figure 1 will show both to the front and the rear of the user while as positioned in Figure 2 they will be shown at both sides of the user.

For the above purposes the strand l2, which may for convenience and comfort be of'the nature of a narrow substantially flexible tape and the like, is of endless form so that it constitutes a flexible supporting loop for the two signal elements, which loop may be readily passed downwardly over the head of the user so that portions of the loop engage the shoulders in either of the above described positions whereby the two signal elements are conveniently and comfortably displayed without necessitating the use of the hands other than to place and displace the same or shift them from one position to the other in the event the direction in which the user is proceeding is changed with respect to the direction of vehicular trafiic. I

Each of the signal elements I 0 and I I preferably consists of a reflective signal disk I3 having a shouldered peripheral portion l4 engaged in overlapping relation by the inner edge of a flat confining ring IS. The other peripheral edge of this ring I5 is overlapped by the forwardly flanged peripheral edge I5 of a back plate I! which may be either used of and by itself or in connection with an overlying facing l8 of colored Celluloid or transparent Celluloid or equivalent material over a printed label.

The ring l5 which serves to confine the signal disk l3 against the back plate I1 is preferably provided with a pair of adjacentlylocated apertures l9 and through these apertures the strand I! of the flexible supporting loop is loosely extended so that the two signal elements are thus movable on the strand relative to i one another around the loop. Obviously then the loop may be made in the first instance to conveniently support the two signal elements in the manner previously described, upon a person of maximum proportions and if there is necessity for adjustifnent to properly and conveniently flt a smaller person, the strand l2 forming the loop may be reduced in length by tying in a portion thereof and then by shifting one of the signal members on the strand relative to the other the two signal members may be easily and quickly repositioned at diametrically opposite points of the loop of reduced circumference.

Since the two signal elements of'the above construction may be formed quite thin and substantially flat and since they are connected merely by means of a flexible member, they may in use be placed back to back and bywrapping the flexible supporting connection thereof around them, they may be held in connection with one another in such position against danger of displacement and at the same time a conveniently connecting strand I2 in the hands as shown in Figure 3, to serve a further function such for in-' stance as a movable signal capable of use if it is desired to signal the stopping of a vehicle for example a taxicab.

What is claimed is:--

l. A signal device comprising a pair of signal supporting elements, a pair of reflective signal disks, each of said supporting elements having a portion at the front face thereof engaging and holding its respective signal disk, and a supporting connection for said elements consisting of an endless flexible strand in the form of a loop adapted to be extended downwardly over the head of the user and draped across the users shoulders, said supporting connection consisting of a light, flexible material and being also adapted to be carried in the hand and to be effectively reduced in circumference by tying in selective lengths thereof, the said strand being threaded loosely through apertures formed in the said front disk-holding portions of the supporting elements whereby the said elements may be, disposed' diametrically opposite one another on the loop and will present unobstructed rear surfaces for disposal against the chest and back or upper arms of the user for eifective positioning when the user is walking parallel with or at right angles to, vehicular traflic.

2. A signal device comprising an endless flexible strand forming a loop adapted to be extended downwardly over the head of the user and to be draped across the user's shoulders, and a pair of signal supporting elements, each consisting of a generally flat frame having front and rear walls, and a reflective signal disk mounted in the front wall of the frame, each frame presenting a smooth unobstructed rear surface and having adjacently located openings in its front wall at a point between its signal disk and the edge of the frame, through which the said strand forming the loop is loosely threaded to permit shifting of the signal supporting elements around the loop.

WALLACE J. WOLF. 

